Bottle-tray.



No. 858,766. 2 PATENTED JULY 2, 1907.

- F. SOGHURBK, s3.

BOTTLE TRAY. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1907.

FRANK SOGHUREK, SR, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

BOTTLE-TRAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed February 11,1907. Serial No. 356,709.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SooHUREK, Sr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Trays; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The invention consists in the peculiarities of construction and combination of parts herein shown, described and claimed; its main object being to provide simple, economical stiff and durable cool-handle perforated sheet-metal trays in which to sterilize bottled beverages, said trays being constructed with especial reference to preventing the breaking of bottles therein. However my improvements are applicable to non-perforated sheet-metal bottle trays.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings represents a vertical longitudinal section of a fragment of a sterilizing tray embodying my improvements, the section being indicated by lines 1-1 of Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 2, a plan view of same, and Fig. 3, an end elevation illustrating a tray-handle partly broken away.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates the bottom and B the continuous wall of an approximately rectangular sheet-metal bottle-tray, the corners of same being rounded. The bottom and wall of the tray are united by seaming and the ends of said wall are also seamed together, as shown at G in Fig. 3. A stiffening wire D is caught in an outer upper head of the tray-wall and if the tray is intended to be employed as a receptacle in which to sterilize filled and stoppered bottles, its bottom and wall are suitably perforated, this kind of a tray being illustrated.

The tray-bottom is shown indented to form two series of intersecting grooves b, those in each series being at right-angles to those in the other series and at regularly recurring intervals, the preferred direction of said grooves being diagonally of said bottom. As herein shown the disposition of the grooves is such that each perforation of the tray-bottom is central of a square fraction of said bottom, each square having the lines of four of said grooves as its boundaries. The indenting of the tray-bottom, as above described, serves to stiffen the same against sag under the weight of bottles and their contents therein, and the resultant grooves interrupt contact of the bottoms of the bottles with said tray- I bottom, each bottle being supported on a series of elevated square cushions that also result from the indenting of the aforesaid tray-bottom and which absorb what is frequently breaking shock to the bottles when the tray is set down on a floor, bench or other support. Each perforation of the bottom herein shown is central of one of the cushions aforesaid.

Each end of the tray-wall is provided with an upper central hand-hole and engaging the same is one edge of a sheet-metal handle E that is partly semi-tubular and partly flat in cross-section, the flat-portion d being a flange of the remainder fastened to said wall by any suitable means, an edge of the semi-tubular portion of said handle being turned on the edges of the hand-hole and laid flat against the aforesaid wall inside the same, as shown in Fig. 1. As herein shown the flat or flange portion d of the handle may be provided With slits engaged by ears 0 that are swaged outward from the traywall, these ears being bent parallel to said flange or flat portion of said handle outside the same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to fasten the same in place. The handle being partly semi-tubular in cross-section, space is had between it and the tray-wall for a circulation of air admitted to said space through apertures had in said wall, as a result of the swaging outward therefrom of the ears aforesaid, or otherwise, whereby said handle is kept from heating to a temperature liable to unpleasantly effect a workman handling the tray.

I claim:

1. A sheet-metal bottle-tray having the bottom thereof indented to form two series of intersecting grooves, thos in each series being at rightangles to those in the other series and at regularly recurring intervals apart dividing said bottom into recurring elevated square cushion fractions.

2. A sheet-metal bottle-tray having the bottom thereof indented to form two series of intersecting grooves diagonally of the tray, those in each series being at right-angles to those in the other series and at regularly recurring intervals dividing said bottom into recurring elevated square cushion fractions.

3. A perforated sheet-metal bottle-tray having the bottom thereof indented to form two series of intersecting grooves, those in each series being at right-angles to those in the other series and at regularly recurring inter vals apart dividing said bottom into recurring elevated square cushion fractions each provided with a perforation central thereof.

- 4. A sheet-metal sterilizing tray having a wall thereof provided at each end with a hand-hole, and a partly semi- .tubular handle fastened to said well in engagement with said hand-pole, the semi-tubular portion of the handle being in communication with the tray through apertures of the same.

5. A sheet-metal sterilizing tray having the wall thereof provided at each end with a hand-hole, a partly tubular and partly flat handle having an edge thereof folded on the edge of the hand-hole, and ears swaged outward from said wall to engage with slits in the handle, these cars being bent parallel to the flat portion of said handle outside the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK SOCHUREK, SB. Witnesses:

LoUIs SOCHUREK, N. E. OLIIHANT. 

